No. 17: Kevin Sumlin, Texas A&M, $3,100,300. Sumlin has more than tripled his basic pay since the 2010 season, when he made $1 million as Houston’s head coach. Last season, he made $2.436 million from Texas A&M, including $436,000 related to the payment of his buyout to Houston. Thomas Campbell, USA TODAY Sports

No. 16: Gary Patterson, TCU, $3,120,760. Because TCU is a private school, Patterson’s total is the one reported on the university’s most recently available federal income tax returns, which cover compensation for the 2011 calendar year, including benefits and bonuses paid. John Rieger, USA TODAY Sports

No. 15: Tommy Tuberville, Cincinnati, $3,143,000. $943,000 of Tuberville’s total is related to the buyout payment he owed Texas Tech for leaving after last season. Even without the buyout payment, Tuberville is making over $430,000 more than what Butch Jones was scheduled to make at Cincinnati for the 2012 season. Kim Klement, USA TODAY Sports

No. 14: Bill O’Brien, Penn State, $3,282,779. An 8-4 record with the program under heavy NCAA sanctions prompted the university to give O’Brien a nearly $1 million raise for this season under a new contract that is scheduled to pay him a little less than $2.5 million for the2014 season. Matthew O'Haren, USA TODAY Sports

No. 13: Mark Richt, Georgia, $3,314,000. After taking Georgia to a second consecutive SEC title game last season, Richt received a one-year contract extension and a nearly $400,000 raise – his first increase since 2008.
Dale Zanine, USA TODAY Sports

No. 12: Steve Spurrier, South Carolina, $3,322,500. Spurrier received aone-time, $250,000 pay supplement as part of his compensation for last season, so his compensation total for this season is lower than it was for last season. Beth Hall, USA TODAY Sports

No. 11: Mike Gundy, Oklahoma State, $3,450,000. As scheduled in his employment and talent contracts, Gundy’s pay increased by a total of $175,000 over what he received for the 2012 season. Brace Hemmelgarn, USA TODAY Sports

No. 10: Charlie Strong, Louisville, $3,738,500. After a 2012 season that included a Big East title and victory in the Sugar Bowl, Strong received a new eight-year contract and $1.4 million increase in his annual pay from the school. Kim Klement, USA TODAY Sports

No. 9: Kirk Ferentz, Iowa, $3,985,000. Last season, Ferentz gave up a $50,000 base pay increase that his contract originally had called for so Iowa could put some additional money toward assistant coaches’ pay. This season, he went back to his original base salary schedule. So, after two consecutive seasons with a $1.92 million base salary, he has a $2.02 million base salary this season. Jesse Johnson, USA TODAY Sports

No. 8: Brady Hoke, Michigan, $4,154,000. Hoke’s total includes $1.5 million in retention bonuses that vest and become payable if Hoke remains head coach through Dec. 31. He is in the third year of a six-year contract under which he is credited with a $500,000 bonus for each contract year that he completes. However, the money does not vest or become payable until he completes the third and sixth years. Mike Carter, USA TODAY Sports

No. 7: Les Miles, LSU, $4,459,363. In January 2013, Miles received a contract extension and a $549,000 increase in his annual pay from the school – his first increase since 2008. Derick E. Hingle, USA TODAY Sports

No. 6: Urban Meyer, Ohio State, $4,608,000. Meyer’s total includes a $450,000 retention payment he will get if he is the Buckeyes’ head coach on Jan. 31, 2014. It also includes a 4% increase in most of the elements of his compensation from the school that he received not long after the 2012 season. Sandra Dukes, USA TODAY Sports

No. 4: Butch Jones, Tennessee, $4,860,000. $1.4 million of Jones’ total is related to the buyout payment he owed Cincinnati for leaving after last season. Tennessee is considering this a reimbursable employee business expense -- not compensation subject to taxes. Jones also received a $500,000 signing bonus. Even without the buyout and bonus, Jones is making nearly $1 million more than what Derek Dooley was making at Tennessee for the 2012 season. Randy Sartin, USA TODAY Sports

No. 1: Nick Saban, Alabama, $5,545,852. Saban’s contract provided for a $50,000 increase in his pay from the school. With an academically related bonus already earned, if the Crimson Tide wins the SEC title game and just plays for the national championship, he was surpass $6 million for this season. Matthew Emmons, USA TODAY Sports